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Chocolate Guinness Cake

This cake is ridiculously good. Whenever I ask someone what they want me to bring for dessert, this is usually the answer. While it has Guinness beer in it, the cake doesn’t taste like beer, exactly. Rather the beer gives the chocolate a boost, making the whole cake taste intensely chocolaty, damp, rich, and satisfying. The cream cheese frosting sets off this chocolaty richness perfectly. Tangy and not too sweet, it also tops off the cake and makes the whole thing look like a pint of Guinness. If all that doesn’t convince you, consider this: Guinness cake comes together in a flash, using only one pan on the stove top, and only the laziest of stirring. Perfect for all your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Enjoy!

For the Cake:

Ingredients:

1 cup Guinness

10 tablespoons salted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup sour cream (can use low-fat)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper, buttering the bottom and sides.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the beer and the butter until the butter has melted.

Off the heat, whisk in the sugar and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and add this slowly to the beer mixture. Whisk constantly to avoid scrambling your eggs. Finally, whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, then allow to cool. Once completely cooled, frost with the cream cheese frosting. Or eat it warm, unadorned, straight from the pan- delicious too!

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

12 oz. cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand), then slowly stream in the heavy cream, until you have a consistency you like.The frosting should be very thick. Heap onto the cake so it resembles a tall frothy pint of Guinness.